Devices such as remote controls, portable entertainment devices, flashlights, computers, electric cars, and so forth, have electrical circuits that use electrical power to operate. Electrical power may be provided by a power source, such as a primary battery, secondary battery, fuel cell, photovoltaic generator, thermoelectric generator, and so forth. The power source exhibits a polarity, that is, a positive and a negative output between which an electric current may flow to transfer the electrical power.
The circuits within the device are designed for operation with electrical power of a particular polarity. Application of incorrect polarity to the circuit may result in the circuit not operating, damage to the circuit, or even potentially harm to a user. For example, putting batteries into a defibrillator backwards may result in the device not operating. In another example, misconnecting a charger for an electric car could result in a serious injury. As a result, it would be advantageous for users to be able to install or connect a power source to a device without regard to the polarity of the power source while still providing for operation of the circuits in the device.
While implementations are described herein by way of example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the implementations are not limited to the examples or figures described. It should be understood that the figures and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit implementations to the particular form disclosed but, on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include,” “including,” and “includes” mean including, but not limited to.